Month: October 2015

So a few days ago, my husband came home from work and took control of our little one so I could run up to the store. I dashed out of the house following a full day of baby loving, went to the store, and was back home just in time for Haddie’s bath. As I sat there cooing at my precious girl in the tub, pondering how I could have been blessed with such a cutie, Ryan grabbed the side of my shirt and goes, “Um Kristen…what is this?” Glancing down at the stain in question, I instantly realize that I’d been wandering around our local Publix with baby poop down the side of my shirt. It’s official; I’ve been initiated into the mom club.

At a different time in my life, I probably would have been repulsed by this. There would have been a serious possibility of gagging and dry heaves, but with my brand new set of mom goggles, I simply threw my head back and laughed. What’s even stranger than the lack of disgust for my fecal-stained shirt? The fact that when I finished cracking up, I stared down at my child and decided I loved her even more.

You see, in that moment, I think I realized just how much my life has changed. My sweet, little girl has become my entire life, and even though there are some rough, disgusting moments, there is nothing that can change the way I feel about her. My disdain for bodily fluids is a thing of the past (where my child is concerned, at least), and my severely weak gag reflex has found its inner strength.

Still so happy, even when she’s sick!

This past week, our little one has been sick with her first cold (poor babe!) and this new found strength has certainly been put to the test. There has been an abundance of snot and saliva, mostly found in my hair as of late, and yet somehow I still find myself loving her more and more. You should see me busting out my NoseFrida to suck her little boogers out with a smile on my face each time. I’m pretty sure I could give Super Woman a run for her money!

How about you guys, anybody have any gross mom stories they’d like to share?

Sometimes in life, there are moments where we need to stop for a second and ask ourselves WWASPD…what would Amy Sherman Palladino do? Since the unfortunate, and untimely, demise of Bunheads, however, there’s been a huge hole in most of our hearts where Ms. Palladino’s fast-talking, intellectually stimulating characters used to live. Her sage words of wisdom are a thing of the past, and we’ve been forced to mourn what once was and move on…or have we?

Rumor has it that Netflix is coming to our rescue once again! The same corporate giant that so lovingly returned our friends over at Arrested Development, is reportedly in talks to resurrect Gilmore Girls! Oh be still my beating heart! The Lorelei’s of the world may be coming back to us and our starry-eyed fandom may have cause for celebration once again!

Found on gurl.com

I’m trying really hard not to get my hopes up. This is still one of those “in the works” type of situations and could honestly go a million different directions, and in all reality, we know how reliable the rumor mill tends to be. However, on October 19th (yes, I’m a stalker), the lovely Lauren Graham oh so coyly tweeted that while she can’t confirm any rumors, she also can’t deny them. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going to take that as a, “Oh hell yes, the girls are back in town!” Gather your friends and an enormous amount of junk food…I think there’s some binge watching in our futures!

When I was a little girl and people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always had the same answer…an author. There were never any dreams of being a princess or doctor, nor a butcher, baker or candlestick maker; I just wanted to write books. Throughout my life, there have been times that I pushed this idea to the wayside, but in the back of my mind I knew it was still something I yearned to accomplish.

When my husband was injured back in 2008, it became one of the most pivotal moments in my life. In a matter of moments, I was forced to contemplate everything my life had been, and try to figure out what it was about to become. I remember wishing there was some sort of guidebook that would help us through everything. A set of rules and regulations that would explain the ins and outs of the life we were about to undertake. Alas, there was nothing of the sort. Sure, there were books about individuals who had experienced the same types of injury that Ryan had, but I couldn’t find much that would benefit the family, friends and caretakers. As we made our way through this incredible journey, I decided that one day, I wanted to write that book. The kind of book that would explain how I felt in those first couple of weeks and months. Honestly, it would explain the way I still feel from time to time in the present.

I’ve started this process more times than you can imagine. I’ve constructed timelines and organizational charts. I’ve jotted down notes and memories. I’ve even written a chapter or two, but somehow the process has seemed too daunting to finish.

So I come to you all and ask for your support as I use this blog as a platform to try again. I feel that I’m at a place in my life where I’m desperate to put these words to paper. So if it’s all right with you, in the midst of the normal chatter about this and that, I’d like to bring you a few memories about one of the most inspiring times in my life.

Let’s start at the beginning shall we…

Ryan was over in Sao Paulo, Brazil performing at a water park called Hopi Hari. Suffice it to say, I wasn’t super excited about being away from him for the summer (that’s a story for another day), so he promised that we’d Skype each night before bed. The evening of July 19th, 2008, I sat in front of my computer at our usual time and anxiously waited for him to sign on. Minutes turned into hours, and he never got on the computer.

At first I tried reasoning with myself. I assumed that he and his friends had a late night, had gone to dinner…something of the sort. As the hours rolled by, reasoning turned into anger. I didn’t think a few minutes out of his day was much to ask for. Before too long, however, I started to get nervous.

I remember that I finally closed the computer around 2 or 3 am. I was up again by 7, and back to playing the waiting game. Sometimes, he’d get on before work in the mornings, and I was convinced that would be the case. By around 10, I was completely freaking out. I walked into the living room and told my mom that something wasn’t right. I was trying so hard to keep calm, but was failing miserably.

Within 10 minutes of telling my mom that I was worried, my cell phone rang. When I answered, Ryan’s dad was on the other end. He told me that there had been an accident. He couldn’t say anything else; the line got quiet and I assumed the worse. He couldn’t have been silent for more than 30 seconds, but it was the longest of my life. I remember dropping down to my knees and waiting. When he finally came back, he explained that Ryan was alive but that he couldn’t feel anything from the waist down. He was awaiting surgery at a hospital in Brazil, and since I didn’t have a passport, I was stuck in the states until he could make his way home.

Before that moment, I had no personal connection to paralysis. I couldn’t wrap my head around what I was being told, and tried to convince myself that this was a temporary situation. Never in my life, had I felt so terrified and confused. My mind was spinning with possibilities and I didn’t know what the first step I needed to take would be.

There is a quote that goes something like this, “You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice you have.” Since that day, I have lived by that quote. I remember in the midst of the shock and sadness, that I knew I had to be strong. Between the two of us, Ryan had always been my rock. He was the one who constantly helped lift me up. In that moment, I knew that I had to muster every ounce of strength I had and help him move forward.

That accident changed our lives completely. Ryan is a true inspiration, and this experience has made me a better version of myself. We’ve had to push ourselves in more ways than you could ever imagine. Things are not always easy, but our life is more rich and beautiful for everything we’ve undergone.

Hello, my name is Kristen, and I have a foot phobia. Ok, so maybe not a full-fledged phobia, but I have a serious distaste for feet. There’s just something about them that seriously repulses me. I most certainly do not have a future career giving pedicures, and if you ever told me that one day I would find myself smooching another human being’s toes, I would have laughed in your face (after I finished gagging, of course!)

Then my daughter was born, and let me tell you, her tiny feet might possibly be the most adorable thing in the world. I constantly find myself staring at them and showering them with little kisses. I’m simply obsessed!

So recently, when she discovered her own feet, the cute factor had officially upped its ante. While I should, more than likely, be completely grossed out by the idea of someone shoving their own foot repeatedly into their mouth, it just isn’t so. I could watch her all day long and never get tired of seeing the amazement and delight in her eyes as she grabs onto those tootsies and holds on tight.

Don’t believe me when I tell you how precious this sight really is? Lucky for you I snapped this shot over the weekend!

I have to admit, I’ve been pretty lazy in the kitchen here lately. There’s been lots of throwing simple things together, or running through drive thru’s on the way home. There’s also a possibility the local Chinese place is on our speed dial.

Needless to say, I thought my husband deserved a dinner that didn’t come out of a carry out container, so I decided to try out a recipe I found on, Ooh La Raw. It’s called white bean and spinach “ragout,” which apparently translates into stew. Thank you, Google.

It’s a delicious blend of fresh veggies, cannelini beans, and an incredible tomato sauce. The original recipe suggests serving over polenta so that’s what we did, but we both agreed it would be perfect over pasta, too. A word of warning if you go the polenta route, however; apparently, our local Publix wasn’t too sure it actually existed. They eventually found one package in the back of the store and informed my husband that it had been ordered by mistake since nobody ever buys it. Interesting…

So here goes nothing. This is my spin on the original recipe. My husband and I couldn’t get enough. It was a pretty easy dinner to throw together, but tasted like something that took some serious time and energy!

First things first, dice up your mushrooms, red bell pepper and onion. Throw those into your pan and let them sauté until the onions are nice and brown. After that, add in your tomato paste and wine. Once you’ve let the wine cook down a little, stir in your broth and roma tomatoes.

For quality assurance purposes, don’t forget to sample your ingredients throughout the cooking process! I just love cooking with wine…don’t you?

Bring this mixture to a boil and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to suit your own personal fancy. I never quite follow the recipes when it comes to spices; I must warn you. Just taste as you go and give it any extra flare you think that it needs Finally, add in your spinach and allow it to wilt. Serve over hot polenta.

Bon appétit!

Ingredients:

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper

2 cloves of garlic

3 T tomato paste

1 t Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 C dry white wine

3 roma tomatoes

1/2 C vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

4 C spinach

1/2 t basil

polenta (or pasta)

Directions:

Saute onion, red pepper, mushrooms, and garlic in oil over medium high heat until the onions begin to brown.

Add in your tomato paste and wine. Allow the wine to cook down before adding in the fresh tomatoes, vegetable broth, red pepper flakes, italian seasoning, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.

Add in your beans and lower the heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Allow the mixture to simmer for around fifteen minutes.

After removing the bay leaf, stir in your spinach and basil. On low heat, stir occasionally as the spinach wilts.

Serve over hot polenta, or pasta.

Tip: I heated the polenta over medium heat and added small amounts of water at a time to help make it creamy.

Well, everybody, it’s officially October! You may now cue your squeals of delight! It’s the month of pumpkins, candy corn and Halloween. That’s not all though. While some of you may not realize it, the month of October also signifies the start of something pretty extraordinary. I know that your on the edge of your seat…knees bouncing with intrigue and excitement to find out what I’m speaking of. Well if you guessed, popcorn balls, you’re sadly mistaken. You see, ladies and gentlemen, October means American Horror Story!

From the delightfully twisted mind of Mr. Ryan Murphy, each October brings us a new installment of this disturbing anthology. It’s safe to say that the obsession I have for this series borders on obscene. When one story ends, I pine for the next one to begin. And next week, the wait is finally over!

Like a lot of people, I first became aware of Ryan Murphy because of Glee. I fought against that damn musical t.v. show long and hard, but eventually, it’s adorable quirkiness and snarky characters won me over. Once I started watching, I was hooked. So when I heard about Mr. Murphy’s new project, I was instantly intrigued. The first thing I noticed… this was no Glee.

There’s gore and mystery, creepy sex and circus freaks. The things they’ve put on film have a tendency to turn your stomach. I barely made it through Asylum without puking (or having a full blown anxiety attack.)

So start your month off right! Set your DVR’s, or park your butts on the sofa. The new season, Hotel, starts on October 7th. For you AHS virgins out there, don’t miss out on this warped, little hour of television. And for all of the tried and true veterans…it looks like this is gonna be a good one!

Which season of the show has been your favorite so far? It’s a constant battle between Coven and Murder House for me!

***A little side note – the jury’s still out on Mr. Murphy’s other new show, Scream Queens, for any of you that are interested. The whole corny horror/comedy thing is either way too much, or just one more stroke of genius. I’ll keep you guys posted if I ever make a decision!***